Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators brought an adrenaline-filled taste of the Sunset Strip to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre.
If ever there’s a person who truly embodies being a rockstar, it’s Slash. As he steps out onto the stage, his silhouette is instantly recognizable with the signature hat, barely visible face except for the sunglasses, and his trusty Les Paul in hand. While he is largely known as being a major part of Guns N Roses, this show was not about that as not a single GNR song was performed all night. The ensemble, which includes Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns, Frank Sidoris, and Brent Fitz, is going from strength to strength in their own right. Having just released their latest album 4, they have now garnered enough of a back catalog of their own to easily fill the setlist.
The night was everything we come to love and expect from a Slash and the Conspirators show – amazing guitar work (which goes without saying!), strong vocals from the multi-octave vocalist Myles Kennedy, not one, but two songs with Todd Dammit Kerns on vocals, and more than a good dose of rock n roll. It was exactly what the doctor ordered for a mid-week pick me up.
The band came straight out of the blocks as they kicked the night off with “Driving Rain” which gives you a strong one-two punch from Slash and Brent Fitz before Myles Kennedy joins in on vocals, accompanied by the packed venue as they enthusiastically sang along. There were so many highlights throughout the evening including Todd Kerns taking lead vocals for both “Doctor Alibi” originally sung by Lemmy Kilmister on the album, and Lenny Kravitz’s “Always on the Run.” But there were two songs in particular that saw nearly every cell phone in the place lifted up above people’s heads to record. The first was their impressive cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” which they recorded for Disney’s Stuntman. The second was for the 10-minute ballad “The One You Love Is Gone” which had the entire audience captivated for its entirety. Both of these songs highlighted Kennedy’s vocal talents more than any of the other songs.
Slash looked perfectly at home and in his element on stage as he was fully engrossed in his playing. His unmistakable style of bluesy riffs accentuated each song with his own unique style. While his name might be the first on the billing, they are a band in the truest sense of the word. They each have other bands and so are not together all of the time. But when they come together, the chemistry is truly evident. When you see them on stage together, it all comes together like clockwork.
This was the first tour for them in support of the new album, and it was great to hear the new songs performed live. There were an impressive six of the new songs sprinkled throughout the setlist and they stood shoulder to shoulder with their older material.
They are currently about halfway through the tour which runs through until the end of March. Be sure to go and get your rock and roll fix when they come to your town.
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